The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-04-01

SSASoH WAS WHdt tHe HALVES Cali q uIy Ouc,
but little rain after the 22nd of June, the
leaves on the trees seemed to ripen without
| frost. The peach buds did not swell as
usual in a wet fall, consequently the low
temperature of this winter did not hurt
them. They have been ready to burst into
full bloom for week past but held in
check by the dry weather and raw north
wind The stock water in some places was
hard to find and even yet is not over plenty
We have had no mud to speak of and the
rowing population have already gone plod-
ding with their "sheet wagons and young
sters for the happy land of Canaan, south
west Kansas.
In regard to writing letter to the JOUR-
NAL, if could do or say anything that
would interest either its Ed. or readers
would do it, but am pretty close to my
farm and have become absorbed IN the rou-
tine work ofit out of which comes not mnch
to..interest my Cecil friends. To you who
haye been over the ground can say that
the warps of 45 or so years in him is right
smart of job. am settled in a sort Of
way on something over one half section of
land It's not prairie land nor is it bottom
but has some of each; though chiefly what
they call pasture or slope. The limestone
crops ont in many places, and flint stones
are not rarity. The soil is good and the
longer / stay on it the better I like it. The
farm suits my taste better than a prairie
location, though many persons can not see
it. have an abundance of excellent wood
of which black oak and hickory pre- redom-
mate. Have springs which do not fail,
blue glass does fine and covers most of the
land not too thick with timber. The place
was settled about fifty years ago and has
about it some of the venerableness of years;
has great old spreading apple trees, peach
trees, gnarled and black with age, but SO
full of life that when cut one down ten
rise lusty and strong from the stump, after
the style of Cecil co. chestnut. Do not un-
derstand me as singing Everything is love
| ly and the goose hangs high" There are
many things pertaining to farming which
Cecil Co. farmer has that almost lYy
him. There is also here great lack of that
eternal restlessness of the west. Many of
| the old settlers are from the western part
of N. G. and eastern Tenn. and are of that
style still. On the prairie are great many
Ger man settlers and a few renegade Penn
sylvanis Dutch. This class with all their
| faults to my fancy beat the internal, restless
cheating Yankee and Jew combination so
common in parts of Kansas, Iowa, Nebras-
ka. | never was money maker or rather
| always had more wants than daily pa
per hence will not likely set up as rival
of Jay Gould. III succeed in making a
good many blades of grass grow where none
grew before and thus cheat myself into the
| belief that am public benefactor, will
satisfy my ambition. have with me
good many things to keep me in mind of
old Cecil, if such were necessary. There
is the Snort Horn cattle of our lamerted
friend VIM. j. Preston, with the increase,
they certainly look at me out of snow
storm as if asking why do not have a biq
barn. Old Dun-Glue Prince the head of the
herd, stands the storms with that absent
minded home sick lookwhich used to see on
the face of the old soldiers on guard in
snow storm. A sort of can't help it-and
l'll-never get. out-of-tn1s look. | keep a
few sheep and they are of the Cotswold
persuasion. Have had no trouble thus far
with dogs, wolves or foxes, though my
neig ghbols few miles away have. From
the neck of my favorte eve hangs the
identical bell or one of three which for
years did duty in the flock of Patrick Ew-
ing. And here goes the story. At the sale
of his farm effects there was put up box
of mixed odds and ends, which | afterwards
learned had been specially prepared by
Mr.. Nelson Black containing two large
| sheep bells, which he wanted. Just as this
box was reached w. w. Moore touched
Mr.. Blacks arm and called him away. |
glanced at the box and saw a good looking
sheep bell and bought it. When Mr.. B.
returned he was call broke up'' over his
miss, so we divided the bells between us.
! learned from him of the special value at